| Jeev Milkha Singh: not just India’s, but Asia’s best |
Sudeshna Guha Roy
Jeev Milkha Singh emerged as the star of Indian golf this year when he again went on to win four tournaments in a year, thus, repeating the feat of 2006. With one victory on the European Tour circuit, one on the Asian and last two on the Japan Tour, Jeev won his second Order of Merit crown in three years. Looking at his sparkling form he was also named as the Players` `Player of the Year` at the Asian Tour`s Awards Gala 2008.
Jeev’s first victory of the season, and third on the European tour circuit, came to him when he lifted the Bank Austria Golf Open trophy in June at the Fontana Golf Club. The win came to him after eighteen long months. The previous two European victories came to him in 2006.
The Chandigarh pro shot 18 consecutive pars to bag the USD 336,645 prize money from a kitty of USD 2.02 million.
The next month itself, Jeev bagged his second victory, but this time on the Japan circuit. He claimed a record setting win at the North Country Golf Club when he won the Nagashima Shigeo Invitational Sega Sammy Cup. He carded 13 under-par 275, the best ever score in the tournament and a record which in the past has been set by only one golfer; Lin Keng-chi in 2005.
Jeev reinstated his supremacy again in Barclays Singapore Open. With a kitty of USD 5 million, the tournament saw the participation of 150 golfers; Phil Mickelson, Padraid Harrington from Ireland, Adam Scott from Australia, South African Ernie Els, Choi Kyung-ju from Korea and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke and Rory Mcilroy to name a few.
Where on one hand, the whole golfing fraternity was missing Tiger Woods at the world’s richest sole-sanctioned event, India’s top ranked Jeev left Els and Harrington behind at the second spot by a shot, and became the only Indian, after Randhawa in 2000, to win this elite tournament.
The victory helped Jeev grab 38 world ranking points and he moved to the 46th spot. The runners-up Harrington and Els moved to the fourth and eighth position respectively.
A couple of weeks after the win, Jeev partnered with Randhawa to represent India at the Omega Mission Hills Golf World Cup in China and finished 17th. The Swede team of Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson emerged as the winners of the Cup.
The duo carded a spectacular 5 under-par 67 in the first round. The next three rounds went either at par or under. With a total of eight under 280, the Indian contingent bagged USD 61,000.
In the month of December, the last tournament of the Japan tour, Golf Nippon Series JT Cup, was just round the corner, when a personal tragedy struck Jeev. His wife, Kudrat, gave birth to a stillborn baby and was still recovering in a local hospital in Tokyo.
The ace golfer had initially decided not to participate in the championship, but after repeated requests by his wife, he decided to be a part of it, and as a matter of fact, he also won it.
"I dedicate this win to my wife, for being strong enough to tell me to go and play on the Thursday morning," an emotional Jeev said in a statement.
Jeev started the fourth round with one shot off the lead. He carded a four-under to win the trophy at a total of 12-under 268.
"A lot happened in my family over the last few days and we have gone through quite a bit. Besides my wife, I want to dedicate this win to the family members from both my and my wife`s side. I also want to thank the Indian ambassador and his wife, who have been a close friend and stood by us emotionally as well, helping us get through the difficult time," Jeev said.
On the personal tragedy, Jeev said, "It was God`s will and I hope there is something better in future for us. I would like to thank my friends and fans who cared for us and all people who supported us in this difficult time. I also thank the media for respecting and understanding the situation."
With this, Jeev claimed his second Japan tour title.
His sensational form assured him the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.
A spectacular 2008 enabled the Indian to end the year at the 36th spot in the World Rankings and berth in all the four Major tournaments next year.
The best of all came in the last to Jeev; soon after he singed out from the Volvo Masters with a par, he was officially crowned as the 2008 Asia’s Best golfer.
"It was nice knowing that the Merit title was mine soon after Singapore, but it always better to wrap your hands around the trophy officially," said Jeev, son of the legendary Olympian Milkha Singh.
"Now my goal is a Major, which I feel I am ready to contend for and it will also mean I can sit at the same table with my father."
"I think I`ve got the game to win a Major. I feel it all depends on the mindset that week and how you deal with the pressure. I feel I do have the game and hopefully before my golfing career is over, I will have a Major under my belt," he added.
"It is always a big deal winning the Order of Merit on any Tour you play and to do it twice in three years is something I am very proud of. And yes, it also means a lot for Indian golf. This week you saw seven guys and two amateurs, playing in a field restricted to the best of Asia." |
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